Sadly, on an important day for feminism , today’s Top Comments is being written by the cis straight white man in the group. Maybe it should be that way. More of us need to stand up to the casual slights that many who don’t identify like me face in the 21st Century. Still.
So tonight, I’m going to focus on women's reactions to Senator Elizabeth Warren and Coretta Scott King’s letter and Ruth Eisenberg and the women who planned to show up in front of Senator McConnell's DC house to read the letter in it’s entirety.
13 Iconic Women Who Nevertheless Persisted
And made the world a better place for doing so.
*from The Huffington Post*
btw, get the shirt
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First Things First:
A thought for New Orleans tonight.
Be sure to read:
The Accidental Beauty of “Nevertheless, She Persisted.” by Marcia Baczynski on medium.com She gets editorial voice tonight.
“Nevertheless, she persisted.” — THERE IT IS. That right there is gold. Epitaph-worthy. The highest accidental compliment, from a man who has no idea how much women are used to being warned and explained at. Warren is having none of it. She will persist.
McConnell used the passive voice to describe the man (himself) warning Warren, and the active voice for her. He tried to make it ominous by taking the warner and explainer off-stage, making himself godlike, and instead made her the center of the story.
She is the agent here. The actor. The one with agency. The one doing stuff, while McConnell flaps his mouth about procedure off to the side.
We’ve been warned. We’ve been given an explanation. Nevertheless, we persist.
The future is female.
There’s really nothing else for me to add here. So …
Some History ...
The Censure Case of John L. McLaurin and Benjamin R. Tillman of South Carolina
*from the US Senate Historical Office*
An actual fistfight actually broke out on the floor of the Senate. Short explanation of Rule 19 is to keep it from happening again. Interesting side note, both Senators represented South Carolina.
A rarely invoked rule:
*from Washinton Post*
Republicans say this time and this moment was worth the trouble. Senate Democrats had spent the past month attacking Sessions as, among other things, hostile to civil rights.
...
As the full Senate launched into several days of debate on Sessions's, Republicans were on high alert for more insults lobbed at Sessions, Rule 19 at the ready. They got their moment with Warren. (It doesn't hurt that Warren is both high profile and reviled by the Republican base.)
*Somebody tell me what in the everloving fuck just happened? By the way, party line vote*
Yesterday on the Senate Floor … from NPR …
"I call the senator to order under the provisions of Rule 19," McConnell said after interrupting Warren's speech, in which he said she had "impugned the motives and conduct of our colleague from Alabama."
That objection came nearly 30 minutes after Warren was initially warned about impugning Sessions by Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., who was presiding over the Senate at the time.
Rapping on the presiding officer's desk, Daines had initially cut Warren off some 20 minutes into her speech.
...
"The rule applies," he [Daines]said, relaying the staffer's words [to him], "to imputing conduct or motive through any form or voice." He added, "Form of voice includes quotes, articles, or other materials."
Warren replied, "So, quoting Sen. Kennedy calling then-nominee Sessions a disgrace is a violation of Senate rules? It was certainly not in 1986."
"In the opinion of the chair, it is," Daines said. As Warren began to speak, he added, "And the senator is warned."
That formal warning set up the later interruption — and the forced termination of Warren's remarks.
My Senator’s response on Twitter made me so proud ...
TOP COMMENTS
from Avilyn:
This comment really moved me from exlrrp. It's worth starting with the parent comment and reading the entire exchange also begun by xlrrp in CUA Events: Santa Rosa (2/11) Denver (2/25) & Glacier Nat'l Park (6/30)! Do you keep a journal? by foresterbob.
from BlackSheep1:
In Barbabra Morrill’s diary White House announces if you disagree with White House, you're spitting on Navy SEAL's grave …
First, Subterra explains exactly what better things the so-called president has to do with his time then JCW71 pitches up the wide-open alley-oop, and and Rued Gestures slams it home.
TOP MOJO
Top Mojo for yesterday, February 7, 2017, first comments and tip jars excluded. Thank you mik for the mojo magic! For those of you interested in How Top Mojo Works, please see his diary on FAQing Top Mojo.
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